SAN LUIS OBISPO - April 24, 2008 --  Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department and New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (NYU-SCPS) have teamed up to promote graduate education in graphic communications management.
 
The partnership between Cal Poly and NYU's Graphic Communications Management and Technology master's program is called "East Meets West." Cal Poly is promoting its relationship with NYU to encourage students to consider graduate school.
 
"Our industry needs high-level critical thinkers and people who can come up with new ways of solving old problems," said Harvey Levenson, department head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department. "NYU's program provides this through its connections to New York City's advertising and publishing communities and through its faculty of professionals who face these challenges daily."
 
Part of the collaboration included the first-ever webcast, during which a team from NYU spoke to approximately 70 Cal Poly students and participated in a question-and-answer session. "It was two-way and interactive in 'real time.' "They could have been in the same room instead of 3,000 miles apart," Levenson said.
 
Bonnie Blake, director of NYU's Graphic Communications Management and Technology master's program, participated in the webcast with a group of students, including several recent Cal Poly Graphic Communication graduates.
 
"This innovative format allowed students to talk to students -- about life in New York and about their new perspective after studying the management of print, Web and integrated media," Blake said.
 
Michael Cunningham, CEO of Diversified Global Graphics Group, was the force behind the unique partnership. Cunningham is on the advisory board of both programs, is an adjunct professor at NYU, and a Research Professor From Industry at Cal Poly.
 
"I am thrilled with the overwhelming success of our 'East meets West' initiative," Cunningham said. "The collaboration between these two great universities is unprecedented and refreshing. We are well on our way to helping develop our industry's future leaders and critical thinkers."